


Freeze Your Brain

by BaconWaffle16



Series: Beautiful [1]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Abandonment Issues, Aged-Up Character(s), Angst, F/F, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Gratuitous Musical References, Heathers The Musical AU, Identity Reveal, Kissing, Marinette is starting to get an idea, One Shot, Song Lyrics, Superheroes, Theater Nerds, adrien knows, backstage shenanigans, everyone just wants this production to go off without a hitch, guess which Heather Alya is playing, musical theater, only a little bit tho, or at least an Akuma, partial reveal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-11
Updated: 2017-02-11
Packaged: 2018-09-23 13:59:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,511
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9660314
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BaconWaffle16/pseuds/BaconWaffle16
Summary: As she helps Adrien audition for a part in their class’s spring production, Marinette feels a prickle of suspicion that will be bothering her for a long, long while.I.E. TheHeathers: The Musical(Production) AU that no one in this fandom asked for.





	

**Author's Note:**

> EDIT (small): So, by the by, this is the song that Adrien sings in his audition. Three guesses who he's auditioning as, hon hon hon~
> 
>  
> 
> [here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GAOxJv96VE8)

“YES!”

Marinette smiled as Alya stepped into the tech studio, a bounce in her step and her hair pulled up into a ponytail. She was holding a script and wearing a red skater dress, the one that Marinette had made for her audition. Marinette nodded to herself knowingly and reached inside her black cardigan to get out Alya’s glasses. 

“I’m guessing you got the part,” she said.

“You bet your ass I did! Especially all the practice I did for that song.” Alya took back her glasses and put them on. Her cheeks were flushed and she was slightly out of breath, but couldn’t help the wide grin across her face. “Damn, I’m exhausted.”

Giggling, Marinette nodded. “Well, ‘Candy Store’ is a pretty intense song. Lots of hip movements and kicks, not to mention the vocals.”

“I know, but _I love it._ I love this douchebag movie, this musical, even this bitch ass character.” Now Alya was fully bouncing. “This is going to be so awesome.”

“Tell me about it!” Marinette said, also bouncing.

“Later! You have to get back to work, Ms. Costume Designer,” Alya said with a wink. “I’m gon’ sit down and watch the rest of the auditions.”

“Cool. Meet you later!”

As Alya walked back towards the stage, Marinette couldn’t help but widen her smile, and she once again glanced around the studio. Even though the production hadn’t officially started, and wouldn’t start performing for months, Dupont Lycée’s _Heathers: The Musical_ was already coming to life. Whether it was people designing costumes, or tech meetings on lighting/scene concepts, everyone was scattering back and forth between the studio and backstage. They were bubbling with excitement and the thrill of bringing a story to life on stage. A story with some bomb ass music, to boot.

Hopefully, nothing would go wrong.

Nothing relating to a certain _villain_ who used people’s emotions against them.

A certain _masked dick_ who’s been a burden on Paris for about three years now.

A certain _fluttering asshole_ that Marinette and her partner had yet to capture, even now.

( _Hint, hint: It’s Hawkmoth. I’m talking about Hawkmoth._ )

She frowned deeply to herself. Thinking about Hawkmoth always made Marinette taste bile in her mouth. It reminded her not only of the delicate situation Paris was in, but also of her own failure.

A twitch at her hip, and Marinette looked down at her purse, which had snapped open. Tikki looked up from the opening and smiled in a way that always inspired encouragement. Marinette smiled back, still tired but not feeling as hopeless, and she gently stroked the Kwami’s head. Then she turned back to her desk, where she’d been sketching some designs for the characters, based on the original Broadway’s production notes and what she’d seen from the original film.

 _Let’s see_ , she chewed her lip on the costume sketches for the Heathers. She didn’t worry so much about H. Chandler’s designs, because they’d already been done with Alya in mind. As for H. Duke and H. McNamara, Marinette knew she’d have to get in contact with Chloe and Rose for their measurements.

 _Gee, that will be pleasant_ , she snorted, regarding Chloe. While things between them had improved since the end of collège—Chloe became a little more subdued, while Marinette became more empathetic—things were still rather _ugh_. Probably the only reason they managed to become decent to each other was because of Adrien, who had become a rather good friend throughout the years. A _really_ good friend. A really, _really_ good friend.

Marinette felt a familiar set of akumas fluttering inside her gut, a dreamy smile spreading across her face. Chin leaned on one palm and her blue eyes lidded, all she could hear was a chorus serenading to the image of her sweet, handsome—

_Ahem._

Blinking wide eyes, she slowly turned to see Tikki hovering next to her, the look in her blue eyes dry as she smirked.

“I thought you were supposed to be _working_ ,” she squeaked, crossing her arms.

“I-I am working, Tikki. I was just...thinking of designs.” Which _technically_ wasn’t a lie. Marinette was thinking of designs.

(Her designs towards one Adrien Agreste, hon hon hon~)

“Really? Because it looked like you were thinking of a certain someone.”

Marinette thinned her lips, taking a book from American court and pleading the fifth.

“A certain someone who you’ve been crushing on since,” Tikki paused for a moment. “Wow, Marinette, you’ve been on this Adrien kick for three years. I just realized.”

Marinette groaned and hit her head on her desk. “I know.”

“Oh, no, don’t feel bad!”

“How can I _not_?” She turned to send a pout at Tikki. “Three years, and I still haven’t told him. Most people don’t wait that long on a crush.”

“Well, not completely true. _Chat_ has.”

Again, she tapped her forehead to the desk. “Don’t remind me.”

But almost inevitably, Marinette thought to her partner and best friend, and the mess she’d started becoming around him. Thought about how he’d grown these past three years, how his suit accommodated to that growth very, _very_ well, and how he’d only become more obvious about his feelings. So obvious that Marinette couldn’t really try to remain oblivious to them anymore.

It wasn’t that it was more obnoxious, how Chat would express his intentions to Ladybug, because the truth was that nothing really changed about his approach. He was still flirty, playful, and quick to say a pun, or any other terrible joke. He was also still protective, friendly, and had come to understand the boundaries that she had set for their superhero relationship, including her stance on their secret identities. So, honestly, nothing had changed.

Well, except.

_Her back against a wall, the brick coarse through her suit. Leather clad hands touching her face, tipping her up to meet him. Her hands tangling in blond hair, wandering to his nape. Lips surprisingly soft, hot like summer and tasting like the rain falling above them, insistent, **electric** —_

....

...

..

.

Yeah, _that._

Her cheeks burned. Marinette shut her eyes against the memory and groaned.

Well, at least there was no way her romance issues could get worse, right?

The door to the studio slammed open to reveal a frazzled Sabrina, wearing a black t-shirt and dark blue jeans. While Tikki zipped back to the purse, Marinette perked her head up, quirking an eyebrow.

“Marinette, we need you on stage!” She cried, panting a little.

“Um...why?”

“We need a Veronica.”

Marinette blinked, then frowned. “You guys haven’t found one yet?!”

“UGH, that’s not the point!” Sabrina stomped over and grabbed her hand. “We need you to stand in as Veronica for one of the auditions. Please?”

Marinette let herself be pulled out of her chair, rolling her eyes. “Who’s auditioning?”

“Adrien.”

“Yeah, okay—WAIT, _WHAT_.”

 

* * *

 

 Adrien looked up from the script in his hand and gave Nino a wide-eyed look.

 “Wh-who’s going to be Veronica?”

“Marinette.” Nino barely looked up from his clipboard, still thinking of ideas about lighting and sound. “She’s one of the few people on the crew who’s memorized the script line for line, plus she’s done well as Veronica in some other auditions. Juleka’s actually thinking of—”

 _Oh no._ Adrien felt his throat seize, his heart jumping. _No, no, no._

It was too soon. Way, way, _way_ too soon. He still wasn’t ready.

“Great,” he said, his mouth spreading into a strained smile. “That’s awesome!”

Nino gave Adrien a look, his dark eyes narrowing with suspicion and maybe some accusation. Adrien swallowed under the gaze, but kept up the grin. Unfortunately, when you’ve known each other as long as these two have, it was difficult to hide anything from your best friend.

“All right, dude,” Nino finally said, placing a hand on his hip. “What’s up?”

Adrien forced a chuckle, his hands shakily playing with the plastic slushie cup that he’d be using as a prop, fingers pulling and pushing at the straw.

“Up? _Up_? Nothing’s up. Why would you think something’s up, Nino? There’s nothing up, totally nothing, _ha-ha_.”

(Deep in this hot mess’s school bag, Plagg smacked his little paw to his head and rubbed down his face with a groan. _You **idiot**._ )

“Really? So, why is it you’ve been avoiding Marinette this whole week?”

Again, Adrien swallowed, his brain freezing on an image involving screaming and rain, a brick wall, red and black, and _soft_ and _sweet_ , and blushing and stammers, and _HOLY SHIT, ALL THIS TIME SHE’S BEEN—?_

Nope. Nope, nope, _nope_. Not ready. Not yet. No matter how much his heart pounded and screamed for him to follow through and finally take that plunge.

Green eyes shifted to the side as Adrien cleared his throat, tried not to get his tone back to normal. “I’m not...avoiding her.”

 _I’m just trying to process the fact that the love of my life has been sitting behind me all this fucking time, and I was too stupid to realize until we kissed in-costume and now I’m too terrified to do anything else_ , his brain wanted him to say. _Oh, and I’m Chat Noir. Which leads to a funny story, actually—_

Oh yeah, because _that_ conversation wouldn’t be a disaster.

Adrien slowed down his awkward pushing and pulling at the prop’s straw, his gaze moving to the stage floor. “I’m just thinking on some stuff.”

Nino quirked an eyebrow.

“...Stuff that _may_ or _may not_ involve Marinette.”

“...We talking bad stuff?”

“No. Not bad, just.” He paused, slumping his shoulders. “It’s just a lot to think about.”

Nino stared at him, blinking twice before letting out a sigh. He shook his head and turned back to his clipboard.

“Whatever man, I’ll get the story eventually.” Nino paused, his eyes gleaming as he heard something over his headset, and a smirk grew across his face. “Besides, you and Marinette are on in five.”

Adrien grinned again. _Fuuuuu—_

“Awesome!”

Nino gave him one last look before walking stage left. “Just wait here and get into position, Sabrina will bring her in a few.”

With a nod, Adrien walked to the front of the stage, where the microphone was resting. He lightly ran a hand through his hair and sighed. Okay, so when he really thought about it, this wasn’t a big deal. Truly, it wasn’t. For all he knew, Adrien wouldn’t even get the part. And even if he did, it wasn’t like Marinette would be the Veronica to his JD, _haha_.

For a brief moment, Adrien thought of all the _scenes_ and things Veronica and JD did together in this musical, thought of doing all of _that_ with _Marinette_ —

He shut his eyes and took a deep breath. He could do this. He could do this, and nothing bad would happen, nothing he would be prepared for. He could. He could. _I can._

“—Okay, okay, Sabrina! Jesus, _chill_.”

“Just get out there!”

 Despite himself, Adrien turned around to see a blushing and pouting Marinette walking in from stage right. She was wearing a blue-gray sundress along with a navy cardigan, no doubt provided by Sabrina. Her hair had been let down, messy and frizzy from its previous pigtails, but it still flowed along her shoulders like dark ink. Then she looked at him, her eyes all big and blue, and sent him a shaky, shy smile. Adrien felt his throat go dry.

“Hey, Adrien!” She said when she stepped in front of her mic.

He smiled back, his heart screaming.

( _It's her, you moron, **her**. Do something!_ )

“H-hey.”

They shared one more look before glancing away, shuffling nervously. Though, while Marinette’s nervousness came from all her feelings and joy at being so close to Adrien, Adrien just felt like he was falling apart.

He stared off at the auditorium, realizing just how easy it would be to reveal everything to Marinette. Juleka and their drama teacher hadn’t shown up yet, from backstage. The rest of the cast and crew were still busy. Anyone else sitting in the audience, specifically the other classmates who’d shown up for the auditions, was still too far away to hear. All Adrien would have to do is cover his mic, turn to Marinette and lean over to whisper in her ear, just as he’d done many times before, albeit while they were—

( _Not ready._ )

But he knew he couldn’t. It wasn’t the right time. And this definitely wasn’t the right place.

Luckily Juleka showed up soon after, wearing her director hat and holding a steaming cup of black coffee, an image that would become common as production went on. She looked up at the stage and nodded in thought. Then she took her seat at the front, crossing one leg over her knee, looking not so much bored but exhausted.

“Okay Agreste, you’re our last JD for the day, so make it count,” she said before throwing a look at Marinette, “Marinette, start from Veronica’s introduction three, two, one...go.”

Marinette nodded, then closed her eyes, taking a few deep breaths. When she opened her eyes, leaving them hooded enough to look flirty and playful, but also cautious, she directed a look to Adrien that made his heart stall.

“I’m Veronica Sawyer, by the way,” she said, holding her hand out for him to shake. “You ever going to tell me your name?”

Adrien fell into the character almost too easy, a small smirk growing on his face. Not exactly Chat-like, but holding a darkness that was ominous and mysterious at the same time, something forbidden.

“I’ll end the suspense,” he said, slowly taking her hand. “Jason Dean. JD for short.”

Marinette smiled, a pretty blush lighting up her face as their hands touched and shook, like it was the first time. When she let go, she shuffled a little before drawling out, “So, JD. That...that _thing_ you pulled in the cafe was pretty severe.”

He rolled his shoulders in a nonchalant shrug, then took a “sip” from his slushie. “Yeah, well, the extreme always seems to make an impression.”

The lovesick giggle that came out of Marinette’s mouth was hilarious and adorable, and maybe just a little too genuine. She lifted one hand to twirl a strand of hair around her finger, her eyes flitting up and down along Adrien’s figure before locking eyes with him.

“What brings a Baudelaire quoting badass like you to Sherwood, Ohio?”

“My dad’s work. He owns a,” Adrien paused in thought, his smirk widening. “A deconstruction company.”

Marinette raised an eyebrow. “Deconstruction?”

“The old man seems to enjoy tearing things down.”

(Inside, Marinette cringed knowingly. _Oh, Adrien._ )

“Seen the commercial?” Adrien continued, then spread his arms out, greeting the small audience with a mock commercial grin that’s supposed to be well known. “‘I’m Big Bud Dean. If it’s in your way, I’ll make your day’!”

He finished with a mocking, crude movement of his hands that made many guys in the room chuckle. Marinette nodded in recognition and giggled.

“Yeah, and then he pushes the plunger and the screen blows up!” She paused in her laughter, then cleared her throat, giving Adrien a more subdued look. “Th-that’s your dad?” 

“In all his toxic glory,” Adrien said.

“Well...everyone in life’s got static.”

A series of honking cried off, one that was very much unplanned for this audition but not unwanted, as well as Alya’s voice soon following, coming from off stage:

“VEEEEROOONICCAAAAA!”

Marinette wanted to _die_.

( _Alya, I love you, you maniac._ )

She bit on her smile, cleared her throat, and turned her expression into something bitter.

“Example: I don’t really like my friends.”

Adrien scowled a little, despite the amusement glimmering in his eyes. “I don’t like your friends either.”

In the pause, Marinette shrugged bashfully and made a show of leaving. But then Adrien put a hand on the crook of her arm, where her elbow bent.

“Hey,” he said softly, tempting. “Bag the party. Hang here.”

“At the 7-11?” Marinette snorted, rolling her eyes around the “store” they were in, noting the beginnings of a song in the background. “Swanky first date.”

“I love this place!”

“No offense, but _why_?”

Adrien let go of her arm, stepped a little back, and opened his mouth to sing, his voice low but lilting, a mask for the anger and the sadness, and everything that’s supposed to encompass the musical version of JD. Marinette felt herself get hooked into his voice, the little smile that grew as he sang out love for 7-11 and slushie, the only constant JD ever had. She watched as Adrien paused to take a long sip from his cup, cringe and hold his head from the brain freeze—and then smile as he crooned out the next lyrics.

When Adrien eyed her again, it was with a wide and tempting smirk, one that struck Marinette right through her heart. Not just because he looked surprisingly _good_ at being bad, but because...because...

( _Familiar._ )

“Care for a hit?”

Marinette blinked, realizing where she was, and who she was not, and who just _could not be_ —

“Does your mommy know you drink that crap?” She said with a tentative smirk.

Adrien let out a laugh that sounded a little mean, a little too true that it _hurt_ , the look in his eyes just a little too angry.

( _...It’s been three years. I think I’m allowed to be a little bitter._ )

“Not anymore!” He smirked and sang out to that melancholy tune, “ _When mom was alive, we lived half-way normal. Now it’s just me and my dad, we’re less formal. I learned to cook pasta, I learned to pay rent, learned the world doesn’t owe you a cent—_ ”

Again, Marinette felt captured, but from more than Adrien’s singing. A part of her wanted to get close to him, to hold him, to tell him it would be okay. Another part was noting how he rolled his shoulders, how his voice deepened into a pitch that she _knew_ , even while sounding so bitter and pained; how that mouth of his curled into a cat-like smile as Adrien subtly flirted with her (character), while also warning her of life’s hurts.

It wasn’t long before the song was cresting into its final chorus, and Adrien followed it like it was his all along. He glared out at the audience, an anger that wasn’t just directed at the world or his parents, but also himself.

“ _Freeze your brain_ ,” he sang, punching the air in a movement too familiar with fighting. “ _Shatter your skull, fight pain with more pain. Forget who you are, unburden your load, forget in six weeks you’ll be back on the road—_ ”

For a moment, Marinette was frozen in her overwhelming feelings ( _sadness, compassion, love_ ) and need to reach out to Adrien. But then she narrowed her eyes, the back of her brain prickling with a _thought_ she wasn’t ready to place in her forefront yet. A _thought_ that was going to haunt her for a while. And as Adrien clenched his eyes shut to let out the last lyric, in a shout that made her heart stutter, Marinette felt that prickle grow.

“ _When the voice in your head says ‘You’re better off dead’, don’t open a vein!_ ”

A pause. Adrien took one deep breath, sobering himself, and then directed his now subdued gaze to the cup in his hand.

“ _Just freeze your brain, freeze your brain, go on and freeze your brain._ ”

He perked his head up to send a look to Marinette, his mouth curling into a smirk, small but _dangerous_. “Try it.”

Marinette stared.

A beat. And then, a resounding applause, one that reminded both Adrien and Marinette that they weren’t alone. When they looked forward, they even noticed Juleka beaming.

“That was awesome, Adrien!” She said, jumping up from her chair. “When can you start rehearsing?”

Adrien grinned.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Marinette gathered her things about an hour later, her eyes still swirling with thought. 

_There’s no way..._

She shouldered her bag and began walking out, not noticing the concerned glance Tikki was throwing her from her clutch.

 _They’re too different_ , Marinette thought as she started walking down the hall. _Aren’t they...?_

But what if they weren’t?

Marinette paused before the doors leading outside. She thought back to Chat, to Adrien, to everything she thought she knew about either of them. And the more she thought about it, the more she realized, she didn’t know much about them at all. Two boys she cared for deeply, and she didn’t even _know_ who either was.

What did that mean?

Just before Marinette could simmer more on the thought, she heard her name called.

“Marinette!” Juleka breathed out in relief, panting a little. “Good, I caught you.”

She mustered a smile. “What’s up Juleka?”

“I just...I need to talk to you.”

Marinette turned to face her. “Sure, what’s up?”

Juleka bit her lip, looking nervous, and then let out a sigh. “Okay, so look. You know how we keep having trouble finding a Veronica? _Well_ , I was just thinking...”

**Author's Note:**

> So, I have been wanting to contribute to this fandom in forever.
> 
> And _this_ is what you get.  
> ...  
> ...  
> ...  
>  *slides off stage, disappearing*
> 
> (I TRIED, GUYS. TRULY I DID)


End file.
